


The Fire Without and the Fire Within

by needles



Series: Bokuaka Detective drabbles [60]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-04
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-16 22:07:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29831595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/needles/pseuds/needles
Summary: The crime scene is hot, dry, and tiring, but things are going to get a lot hotter for them yet.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou
Series: Bokuaka Detective drabbles [60]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2116251
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	The Fire Without and the Fire Within

The sere vegetation crunched and crumbled beneath Keiji’s feet as he moved slightly. It wasn’t the only thing that was dried and desiccated either; the remains he was examining were as dry as the grass and even more dead. The grass at least would revive at the first drop of precious rain; the heap of dry bones and leathery skin were beyond the help of anyone but the forensic team. They could not give life but they could restore a face and hopefully a name so that the death would not go unrecorded or un-mourned. 

Bokuto wiped a hand across his face as beads of perspiration seeped saltily into his eyes making him blink as he squinted at his notes. There was a strong breeze but the air was too hot for even that to cool anything. He could feel the clammy dampness of his shirt and the trickle of moisture down his backbone until it met the damp patch of cloth where his shirt was held tight against his body by his belt. How his partner tolerated this heat whilst still looking as cool as the proverbial cucumber astonished him. It must feel like a sauna inside his jumpsuit but he barely seemed to break sweat.

An old saying he’d once heard popped into his head, ‘Horses sweat, gentlemen perspire, and ladies merely glow’. He smiled to himself, Keiji might not be a woman but he glowed; he had a kind of cool inner luminescence that emanated from his face when he was examining remains, even in a place like this. It was one of the things that he loved to watch. It meant that he was totally absorbed by his work and Bokuto could watch his to his heart’s content. Except that it was never content, it was never enough anymore to soothe the yearning in his chest. If anything it made it worse. Every day he got out of bed resolved to man up and tell him how he felt, and every night he fell back into his bed berating himself for a coward. It was never the right time to speak. They were so busy, or there were other people there, or they were too tired. Any one of a thousand things could get in the way of that perfect moment he was waiting for.

“Bokuto san?”

“Sorry Akaashi I think I just zoned out a bit there; must be the heat.”

“You aren’t getting heatstroke are you Bokuto san?”

“Nah. I’m cool.”

“You don’t look it.”

“Very witty Akaashi. What did you want me for?”

Keiji stood up and reached for a bottle of water from his kit. “I’m done here; they can take the remains back to the lab,” he said taking a long drink and passing Bokuto the bottle.

They retreated into the sparse shade of the thirsty looking trees whilst the techs gathered the remains into the body bag and carried them, and the boxes of samples Keiji had collected, back down the two mile long track through the woodland to the road where they had left their vehicles. Once sure that he was no longer needed for anything Keiji began to change, he removed his jumpsuit and bundled it into his sports bag along with his used gloves.

Bokuto picked up Keiji's kit and settled the strap over his shoulder. “Ready Akaashi?”

“I’m ready, let’s go.”

Bokuto led the way along the narrow track carrying the heavy case. Keiji followed behind, bag slung over his shoulder, admiring the way Bokuto’s damp shirt clung to his back emphasising the definition. Keiji knew he’d been watching him as he worked. Illogical as he knew it to be he could feel the eyes on him. Not in a creepy stalkerish way but in a protective guardian angel way, keeping him safe. Now it was Keiji’s turn to check out his butt, and a very nice view it was too.

They had gone about half a mile, slowly, because of the heat, when Bokuto stopped and sniffed.

“What is it Bokuto san?”

“Smoke Akaashi, can’t you smell it.”

Keiji took a deep breath and caught the unmistakable tang of wood smoke on the wind. As he breathed again it grew stronger. “It’s coming this way Bokuto san, there must be a fire, this vegetation is as dry as tinder.”

“Come on Akaashi best get moving.”

They set off again picking up the pace, the smell of smoke getting heavier and heavier until the first wisps of grey mist began to appear ahead of them. It began to thicken until their eyes started to smart and the track ahead was a hazy gap in the trees. They rounded a bend and stopped dead, ahead of them was thick smoke glowing orange with the flames of burning undergrowth. The flames were licking up the trunks of the flammable pines and as they watched one fell blazing across the track ahead of them. They spun round but behind them the smoke was closing in and now they could hear the crackle of the fire driven by the wind.

Bokuto grabbed Keiji’s hand and dragged him into the unburnt forest to the other side of the path. “Come on Akaashi this way it’s the only chance!” he urged. 

Keiji needed no encouragement, he sprinted after Bokuto between the trees as fast as he could, knowing that their only hope was to strike a road or reach the edge of the trees. They crashed through the dry grass and bushes, dodging trees, pushing their bodies to the limit in an effort to put as much distance between themselves and the wall of flames as they could. He felt his chest burning from the effort as they crested a small rise in the ground. He paused for a second to grab a breath or two, one hand clutching a tree for support as he bent over, chest heaving.

“Akaashi look!”

He looked up to see his partner grinning. Dragging his legs forward he joined him and looked, down below at the bottom of the gentle slope was a clearing and in the centre a small limpid mere.

“Come on Akaashi, the water!” Bokuto grabbed his hand again and together they scrambled down the slope as clouds of acrid smoke began to billow through the trees around them. 

The smoke was getting thicker as they emerged from under the last of the trees onto the few yards of clear grass around the water. Bokuto headed straight for the small lake and was just about to dash into it when Keiji held him back.

“Bokuto san we don’t know how deep it is, it could be dangerous.”

Bokuto nodded back at the slope behind them where amber flames were now visibly consuming the trees at the top. “Right now Akaashi I think I’d rather take my chances in the water than against that.”

Keiji looked at the advancing fire. “You have a valid point Bokuto san but let’s go carefully we have no idea how long we will be here; we could be stuck in there for hours. It will get very cold.”

Bokuto edged slowly into the chilly water testing the depth and the bottom carefully as he went. The lake sloped gently downwards towards the centre and the bottom was just muddy.

“It seems ok Akaashi, not too steep and just a muddy bottom to it. Come on in, the water’s lovely!” He grinned.

“It’s anything but, however...” Keiji waded out towards him until they were both knee deep in the cold water. Then they stood watching the forest burn. Bokuto wrapped his arm around him and hugged him as tree after tree caught alight and burned swiftly and brightly until nothing was left but a blackened and smoking stick. Several crashed and fell, sometimes knocking over others like skittles. 

The fire advanced down the slope and when it reached the edge of the trees they moved a few yards deeper in until they were sure not even the tallest tree falling could hit them. The flames spread out around the perimeter of the lake until they were surrounded by a ring of burning trees. A number fell towards the mere. Toppled, they crashed sizzling and smoking into the water to be extinguished in a cloud of steam. The air grew thick with smoke and instinctively Bokuto pulled Keiji closer against his chest. He pressed against him drinking in his warmth and listening to the steady beat of his heart. The forest was aflame all around him but right here, listening to that rhythm, breathing in his cologne, and feeling the firm strong muscles through his thin shirt Keiji felt safe, secure, unconcerned.

Bokuto stood holding him in the waist deep water, grateful that it was cold enough below his belt to counter the reaction his anatomy was trying to indulge in as an inevitable response to the love of his life being wrapped in his arms. He dipped his head down and kissed Keiji’s hair. 

Keiji raised his face and stared into a pair of worried eyes that looked down as if they expected Keiji to hit him. He ran his hand slowly up Bokuto’s chest watching his eyes lose their fear and listening to his heartbeat rising. He slid it behind Bokuto’s head and pulled him towards him pressing their lips briefly and softly together. 

When Bokuto pulled away a smile crept over his face, maybe his perfect moment had arrived. He’d never envisioned it being waist deep in icy water surrounded by a burning forest, but it felt right. His own fingers laced themselves into Keiji’s hair, this time it was anything but a brief kiss, they explored each other’s mouths hungrily until the fire burning between them rivalled the fire burning around them. They pulled apart through a need to breathe and Bokuto moved to his neck, kissing lightly up the delicate skin to his ear before running the tip of his tongue slowly along the outer edge of it, eliciting a moan from Keiji that almost undid the effect of the cold water instantly.

“I love you Akaashi,” he murmured into his ear, “no ifs, no buts, I love you, period, and when we get out of here I intend to show you just how much.” 

“If we get out of here,” Keiji groaned, and arched his neck to allow him better access.

“We’ll get out Akaashi, I know. The man upstairs is looking after us.”

“Whilst I cannot subscribe to your notion of ‘the man upstairs’ you may give him my thanks next time you speak to him.”

“It’s called praying Akaashi,” he chuckled. “But I’ll be sure to pass them on.”

“Bokuto san?”

“Yes Akaashi,” he answered between kisses.

“I love you too.”

He paused his journey towards his collarbones. “You do? Then stop talking and kiss me again.”

Finally they dragged themselves apart. “Look Akaashi.”

Keiji followed his eyes and saw the blackened slope down which they had earlier run. The fire had burned hot and swift and all that was now visible was a few tendrils of smoke from smouldering trees. They waded back towards the shore and onto the blackened grass that crumbled into ash beneath their feet. The smell of burnt timber filled their nostrils and the breeze blew flurries of white ash into their faces like snow. The only sounds they could hear came from cracking timber and the distant sound of the fire as it swept all before it. The birds and insects were gone; the forest appeared dead as they made their way back to the track. Keiji knew however that new shoots would soon appear on some of the trees, and buried seedlings would sprout at the first drop of rain to take advantage of the sudden light and space. The birds and the insects would return and the burning itself would nourish the soil.

Eventually they found the track and turned onto it heading towards the road. When at last they reached it, damp, dirty, and exhausted they were met by a very relieved group of techs and local fire fighters who were about to set off on a search for their bodies. Once they were able to reassure the medics that they were otherwise unscathed they clambered quickly into the SUV.

Bokuto reached across and took Keiji’s hand giving it a reassuring squeeze.

“Let’s get home Akaashi. Your place or mine?”

Keiji smiled. “Mine, we both need a shower and mine is big enough for two.”


End file.
